This great musician has unfortunately fallen ill and unfortunately, unlike many nations throughout the world the US thoughout the decades after the UN's 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights has not provided its citizens & general public with a health system as Canadians, Cubans, Portuguese, French, British ... and so many countries do (eventhough currently the IMF and EU seem bent on policies that shall perhaops destroy all our "public health care" systems .. too much profit to be made off of people's sickness it seems and I'm so very sad to say). This is an attempt to provide what our countries should guarantee all citizens in all lands - health care.
It hurts to see such that a such a rich country (not only in terms of wealth) should have problems like this.

I thus leave you with the above link truly hoping his health can be recovered and that he live a long life. I am in no way a relative or collaborator in any of his projects. In no way do I propose to reflect with my thoughts and words those of Mr. Priester or any of his loved ones.

This is not just an issue of hoping that the public may perchance come to the aid of one whom has given so much to all of us through his art and taught so many, this is a moral issue regarding basic human rights that we all deserve . For this reason I shall catalogue this post also under "Human Rights".
Indeed if this is such with one whom is known so well, having such a long carreer and having performed with the likes of John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock and so very many more as a sideman or with ensembles under his own name (I'll mention a few more of the many with whom he had collaborated: Muddy Waters, Dinah Washington, Bo Diddley, Max Roach,Clifford Brown, Sonny Stitt, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, Charlie Haden, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers to mention just some) - than it should not be difficult to imagine the majority of people in that land, the staggering number and their hardship precisely at vulnerable times when their only worry should be to get well..

I'm baffled that even with such oustanding & wonderful carreers such as Priester's, having taught so many, in a profession that makes us more or less visible even if we are not football/soccar stars that we should need to ask for something that all deserve as a basic human right.

I'm appalled that President Obama's noble quest for giving his nation "public health care" is always slammed and sidetracked by conniving crooks who hide in large corporations that take so much profit in the hardship & suffering of others (they care not if any of us die, not even those of us who have recorded & performed so much for so many to hear and warm our souls to. An "artist" after ceasing to exist keeps warming our hearts though their ouevre but I need not justify the reason anyone should have that basic Human Right to the best health possible, all of us, every man, woman and child deserves that

- I quote Article 25 of a declaration written in 1948 - Paris, France:

"Article 25
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection." .